New Video Added!

In this video, Chris Sugai himself gives us a look at the highlights of the all new RIP 9 RDO features, options and how to order one for yourself! With the increase in carbon models from Niner, could a longer travel RDO bike (WFO RDO anyone?) be in the works?



We hung out with Chris Sugai at Interbike and he showed of their latest creation. It is the R.I.P. 9 RDO Carbon and it their latest marriage of their R.I.P 9 design married to their carbon technology which has been proven in the JET 9 RDO bike released last year. What it delivers is greater stiffness and durability in a lighter and more stunning package. 125 mm of rear suspension is ready for 120-140 mm of travel. They slackened up the front end and lowered the BB. And reports from the Niner headquarters is employees are fighting over these R.I.P. RDO bikes in the fleet of tester bikes in the office. Cable routing is internal in the downtube but it exits before the bottom bracket to avoid installation and maintenance complexity.

Chris was most proud of the main suspension pivot bearings. It has a huge axle that can be tensioned with a bottom bracket tool then it is locked on the other side to maintain perfect bearing preload. At Mtbr, we normally disconnect the rear shock now to check if the rear is free-moving and free of play. Just like a wheel, bearing tension is critical for removing play and for ensuring freedom of movement. A lot of rear ends are tight and they restrict the movement of rear suspension. It is a hidden crutch that can ruin the suspension action of a good design.

francis@mtbr.com

----------

125MM of "Best Bike Ever" Coming in Spring!
Rally Blue RDO Carbon, Fox Float CTD Kashima, 142MM Maxle, ISCG 05, Carbon Links Rotating on Enduro Black Oxide Bearings

Forest Lurkers, Desert Rats and Mountain Goats - the RIP 9 RDO doesn't care where you ride so much as how you ride. Take the reins and this pony rallies all manner of terrain including, but not limited to: bumps, climbs, ladders, hips, kickers, logs, drops, lips, skinnies, boulders, lawns, gaps, wedges, ledges, tire traps, endless grunts, woodwork rollers, switchbacks, rocks and baby strollers.
  • Carbon Full Suspension from the 29er-Only mountain bike company
  • 125mm of patented CVA Suspension is efficient in every chainring
  • Compatible wiht 120-140mm forks
  • Tuned for CVA - Fox Float CTD shock with Kashima coat
  • Removable ISCG 05 tabs and offset linkage design for chainguide compatibility
  • Carbon suspension linkage and unique Niner alloy hardware
  • 142mm x 12mm rear spacing


Trail Bike 29
"Quiver Killer" meets carbon. 2 years in development, Niner's highly anticipated and requested carbon trail bike finally makes an appearance. The R.I.P. 9 RDO incorporates global rider feedback as well as Niner's rigorous carbon design, engineering and testing standards. Our alloy R.I.P. 9 has over 30 glowing media reviews for ride quality and handling - the R.I.P. 9 RDO takes these characteristics and ups the ante with carbon frame, linkages, ISCG compatibility and additional travel.

CVA™ Suspension
The R.I.P. 9 RDO features Niner's patented CVA suspension (U.S. Patent No. 7,934,739) and delivers 125mm of fully active travel with superb compliance and damping via a tuned for CVA Fox Float CTD Factory Shock with Trail Adjust and Kashima Coat. For those seeking the technical advantages of 29" wheels combined with pedaling efficiency across all chainring combinations (not just the middle ring), CVA™ is the front-runner. The result? A faster, smoother ride up and down the trail.



Versatile Geometry
To progress as a rider you need predictability, balance and nimble handling and Niner is the company that first made fun trail bike 29ers a reality. Climbing or descending, the geometry of the R.I.P. 9 RDO is tuned to keep you in control and ready to conquer new terrain at every turn. The R.I.P. 9 RDO is intended for 120 to 140mm forks, allowing riders to further fine tune the ride.

C5 Warranty
Our robust R&D program - computer modeling, physical prototype testing (both in-house and at independent testing facilities), and hours of riding by skilled and abusive individuals make us confident that the R.I.P. 9 RDO will exceed your expectations. We maintain that our carbon fiber development rivals the best in the bike industry and to back it up we offer our C5 warranty (five year) and a standard-setting commitment to customer service.



Tapered Headtube
The increased surface area of a tapered headtube allows for a larger downtube, increasing strength and rigidity at this critical intersection. Tapered fork steerer tubes measurably reduce fork deflection, which means your Niner tracks straight and true. The full spectrum of riders from XC racers to All Mountain shredders benefit from these features which is why we incorporate the technology in all our new frames. The R.I.P. 9 RDO lets you take full advantage of increased steering precision as you negotiate your daily dose of singletrack.

Attention to Detail
When you are in the backcountry, the details are what take your ride into the sublime. The trim and sexy carbon links rotate on oversized Angular Contact Bearings for awesome lateral rigidity and immediate power transfer, dropper post routing and ISCG 05 chainguide compatibility mean you can build this bike to fit your ride style and an integrated replaceable skid plate lets you try that optional line with confidence. The R.I.P. 9 RDO features more tire clearance, full housing internal cable routing for a clean look and precision-machined alloy interfaces for the bottom bracket, direct-mount front derailleur and brake caliper post mounts.

Pricing
R.I.P. 9 RDO frames and bikes will be shipping in March before the mountain trails melt. Complete bikes will be offered with limited edition top-end build kits.

R.I.P. 9 RDO Frame/Shock: $2,899.00
R.I.P. 9 RDO Frame/Shock & Matching Rally Blue RockShox Revelation RT3 - 130MM: $3,550.00

R.I.P. 9 RDO Specifications & Compatibility
  • 73mm English threaded BB width
  • Removable ISCG 05 mounting tabs
  • Shock size: 7.875"(200mm) x 2.0"(51mm) - 4.9"(125mm) travel
  • Shock mounting hardware: 21.84mm x M8
  • Shock SAG: 25% (which will move the o-ring 12.5mm down the shaft)
  • 30.9mm seat post, 370mm length recommended
  • 34.9mm seat collar
  • S3 (low) direct mount front derailleur, bottom pull
  • 1.125"-1.5" tapered head tube with "inset or zero stack" style headset, 44mm upper, 56mm lower, Cane Creek standard description: ZS44/28.6|ZS56/40
  • Enduro Sealed ACB Black Oxide - (6x) 36ºx45ºx38mm, Enduro Max Black Oxide bearings - (2x) 24x12x6mm
  • 142 x 12mm rear spacing
  • Small has one bottle mount under the downtube. Medium, large and XL have one inner triangle bottle mount and one under the DT bottle mount.
  • Titanium frame guards
  • Protective 3M tape under DT
  • Can fit up to a 2.4" tire (tire size varies by brand)
  • Compatible with standard 3x chainring systems and SRAM XX1
  • SRAM recommended 2x front chainring configs: 26/39 or lower
  • SHIMANO XT and SLX recommended 2x front chainring configs: 28/40 or lower
  • We do not recommend the use of 2x XTR cranks because both the 40T version (48.8mm chain line) and the 38T version (46.6mm chain line) position the large chainring in a way that it may contact the frame. We choose not to compromise tire clearance or lateral rigidity to accomodate these non-standard configurations. Suggested alternatives are Shimano XT 2x and Race Face Next 2x cranksets.